Hope for the Seemingly Hopeless - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Good morning. If you have your Bibles, please meet me in the book of Mark. In the book of Mark in chapter five, The scriptures testify to us plain and clear that Jesus Christ is the world's only living hope. He alone exclusively offers and extends to mankind what they desperately are in need of. Salvation, reconciliation, restoration, transformation.

And the author of Hebrews himself tells us that Christ is able to save to the uttermost. And we can add to that that he is able to save to the outermost. In other words, there is no one beyond the reach of his healing hand and his salvation. Now as we hear that we say amen and we nod our heads in agreement and we should, but for some of us perhaps as we examine our hearts, we do believe that God in Christ is able to save. But in our own minds, perhaps we even know some that in our own estimation are beyond the hope of even receiving mercy because they show no sign of even being interested in mercy.

And so there is an element of doubt to perhaps the the limit or the the extent to which Christ can actually reach and pour out his grace and power upon a life to such a degree that they are transformed miraculously. But we cannot think such a way because God, in fact, is one who can save the most damned and doomed. And he has given us so many examples in the scriptures to testify of that truth and among the many, here we are in Mark chapter five, as the Holy Spirit has recorded for us one of the most, perhaps arguably, darkest and most hopeless and dreary scenes in the New Testament of a man who seemed beyond the scope of hope. In fact, this is the most detailed story in the New Testament concerning a man possessed with a demon. And you're familiar with the story and it's familiar in the Gospels because it's told in Mark, Matthew and Luke.

But this morning we're gonna spend our time in Mark's account of it and we want to understand. We wanna we want to understand what it is that's happening here because as you and I look out in this world, we increasingly see hopelessness. Not hopelessness and people panicking and wanting to find answers, but hopelessness in the sense that as we look and we are almost stunned by the belief system and the behaviors of so many that seem like it's only getting worse and and let's just hold on for dear life because it doesn't seem like much is going to happen. Doesn't seem like people are able to change at this point. Let's impart some faith into our hearts.

Mark chapter five beginning in verse one, they being Jesus and the disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately Mark loves that word. Immediately. If you've read Mark, you notice it's it's just a highlight reel of Jesus' power. Less parables in Mark, more demonstration of his glory.

Immediately there met him, out of the tombs, a man with an unclean spirit. And then he pauses and doesn't continue with the scene but wants to give us a description of this man. It's as though that the scene is on pause and then the narrator now says, Okay. Let's examine who we're actually dealing with here. Who is this man and who is Jesus about to encounter?

And so we are told at least three clear obvious signs that speak of the depravity and the hopelessness of this man. Number one, we are told in verse three, he lived, he lived among the tombs. It doesn't say that he lived around the tombs. It doesn't say that he lived by the tombs. It clearly tells us that he lived among the tombs.

In fact, he came in and out of those tombs. And so this person was so possessed by an evil spirit that this vile demon dragged him to make his address in a cemetery. He's cut off from society. He's cut off from his family, his friends, his home, his work, and he is living in a place where no one in their own free will would dare to live. None of us in here I hope would even want to travel through a cemetery at night, never mind make a bed there.

But this man was driven to the point of actually making his abode in a graveyard. And as he's there, separated from life, inhabiting and living amongst the dead, there's no question that his place of residence speaks of the condition of his soul. He was a walking dead man. He was a walking dead man. His future was as bright as those breathless corpses that were occupying those tombs.

The hope for life for him was as great as those skeletons that were his neighbors. His lack of decency, his unpredictable behavior had those that live nearby satisfied for him to live by and in the tombs. Just keep the maniac there. And as you read about this man, you see that his whole existence is completely controlled by forces of darkness. There is no hint of even reason.

And it's true that this man was unique in the in the fact that he was possessed by many demons as we're about to discover, but we have the freedom to realize that this is pointing to a picture, that this is giving us an insight at least that this condition is parallel to those who are not possessed by demons but overcome by a depraved nature. A depraved nature. Scripture tells us clearly that you and I are dead in trespasses and sins. We are dead. We are completely cut off from any life and relationship with God before Christ came and changed our hearts.

And you and I might say, well this is a unique case. I mean this man's behavior it's it's clearly indicating that he was controlled by demons. This is not like the average person and you're right. But can I tell you this morning that I know people, and I'm sure you do, that do not need thousands of demons in their lives possessing their bodies to lead them to destructive behavior? Never mind demons or a legion of demons.

I know people that are completely possessed by drugs. Alcohol is their spirit of choice. Their own sexual lust have led them to make crazy decisions for themselves and even destroying other people in the process. So let's not look at this as a unique case. There are many others who are miserable and just as dead, so to speak, as this fellow from their own decisions, allowing the flesh and their decisions to submit to the flesh, control them.

And if you talk to anybody or you yourself know anybody, perhaps you even confess this at one point concerning a loved one or a friend or somebody that you'd love dearly who is being clearly possessed by sin, they're they're as good as dead. I've heard that from people. They're as good as dead. I love them, I pray for them, but it's as though that there's no point to live anymore for this man. There's no point for my cousin to live anymore.

There's no point for my uncle, my father. They're just destroying their lives. He lived among the tombs. And then in the second part of verse three, what do we read? And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

Verse four, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart and he broke the shackles in pieces. I love this phrase. No one had the strength to subdue him. He lived among the tombs, but additionally, there was no one who could bind him. There was no one who could bind him.

Clearly this man was a threat to others for other men to find it necessary to try to chain him in place. And we wonder what was he doing for people to to do this to him? Was he terrorizing people in the streets? Would he visit towns and and crash into stores and crash into public places? And was he screeching in the middle of night from torment keeping families awake as it echoed into their homes?

I'm sure there was many things but Matthew's account tells us very clearly. In Matthew eight twenty eight, It says here, not just one demon possessed man but two. Mark chooses to focus on one of them. But it says here that when he, Jesus, came to the other side to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon possessed men met him coming out of the tombs so fierce that no one could pass that way. So if you wanted to see your loved one at the tomb, you couldn't.

This man was so vicious. This man was so vile. This man was so unpredictable that he would pounce on you, pounce on your children. He had no sense of compassion, no sense of understanding. He was completely blinded, completely darkened to the point where his behavior was dangerous.

And so he proves over and over that he was uncontrollable, unrestrainable. He could not be tamed. He could not be controlled because of the supernatural demonic energy that animated him. What's amazing is that though we learn about the absolute viciousness of demons and evil spirits, you can't deny another truth here. No strategy or human scheme can ever bring true deliverance.

No strategy or human scheme can ever bring true deliverance. Listen, either from demonic powers or from the powers of your own sinful flesh. See See we look at a man possessed by a demon and we think, yeah that that's clear, he had supernatural strength. But we in the spirit, many millions today attempt to put chains and shackles on their own spirit man and try to control their patterns and their habits. They come up with their own mechanisms and philosophies and ideas to try to subdue their uncontrollable behavior and mindset and thoughts.

The attempts that make men to drive them to try to control or direct habits and patterns is a sad attempt. Because we are told here that no matter what you come with, no matter what kind of strength, human strength, intellectual strength, moral strength, If it's not coming from Christ, it will fail. If it's not coming from the Lord Jesus Christ, you will remain. You will remain in your nature and you can't do anything about it unless by his mercy he delivers you. Do you know that there are chains and shackles being used today?

In many institutions, in many so called churches, in many schools of thought and belief systems, many chains, to try to answer the cries of those who want true deliverance in the soul level. Would you like to know what some of those failed attempts are? Would you like to know how the Bible describes, so to speak, an imagery chains that continually are wrenched by people? Well here's one. Turn your Bibles to Colossians chapter two.

Colossians chapter two verse 23. Let us examine just just a couple ideas of failed broken chains and shackles of man's attempt to try to subdue and change the flesh. Paul says in Colossians two twenty three, these have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self made religion and asceticism and severity to the body. Now look at this, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. What is he saying here?

Paul is warning the Colossian church of those who promote a legalistic lifestyle. Of those who try to pursue severe and extreme practices against the body and attempt to overcome temptation. Those who allow themselves to go through painful practices such as excessive fasting and even hurting yourself, implementing discomfort, depriving yourself of social, emotional and physical needs, as a way to try to be pious and righteous and holy. And so you have people that stick themselves in the wilderness or on top of a mountain, separate themselves from relatives and friends. That deprive themselves of food and sleep and these strange things that they try to do and all in the name of what?

Holiness. All the name of what? Man made strength to overcome my sinful nature. And Paul tells these Colossian Christians because legalism, believe it or not, is very attractive to people. It's very attractive to people.

Because you get to credit yourself as you present yourself in a certain way. And what he's saying here, there's no advantage in overcoming the flesh because legalism just feeds the flesh. It feeds your pride, your self righteousness, and in the end, if you try to do it in any other way, apart from the power of the Spirit, as legalistic as you may seem, no matter what you don't do or say or dress or eat, you will fall. You will fall. And that's what he's saying.

Some of the most legalistic people are the ones with the most scandals in their lives. And we see here that he's saying, be careful. As wise and as pious as it may look, as attractive as it may seem, there is nothing that it can provide you in terms of empowerment over self mastery in the flesh. You will fail. When you go beyond the scriptures and you say do this and don't do this, and when you go beyond the wisdom and the balance of the word of God and attempt to chain yourself, I can guarantee you this just like the demoniac, those shackles will shatter.

But then we come to another idea, not legalism necessarily, but when Jesus confronted the Pharisees at one point in Mark chapter seven verse 13, he says, thus making void the word of God by what? Does anybody know? Your tradition. Well it's there so you know now. By your tradition that you have handed down and many things you do.

What is Jesus doing here? He's condemning self man made traditions. Not that Jesus Christ is against traditions. Traditions can be wonderful tools to rehearse and remember truths. But what these Pharisees have done is they've gone beyond that.

And perhaps even in the beginning of these traditions being created, there was good intent, there was good motives behind it, but it has reached a point where tradition now has taken the place of the word. It has been so emphasized upon. It has been so practiced. It has been so taught that it took precedence over the scriptures. And Jesus condemns that kind

of

tradition. He condemns that kind of ideology. God's word being replaced by man made ideologies. And look what he says here, you have made void the word of God. You've nullified the word of God.

Isn't that amazing? Jesus said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. No truth, no freedom. No word, no liberty. No divine revelation, no supernatural deliverance.

And so what have these men done? They have settled for their own concepts of what true devotion and worship looks like. And they have not only deceived themselves, but they have deceived the masses and thinking, this is what God really wants from you. This is what God really requires from you. This is what God really, really wants.

And as even sincere people are trying to seek for truth, truth that will set them free, truth that will help them engage and relate with the living God, all they are given is powerless tradition. And people are satisfied with it. And so what are we at today with that kind of mindset? You think this is just a spirit and a mindset back in Jesus' day? No.

No. No. It's prevalent today. You have those who have beautiful cathedrals and even and we think it's just certain denominations or certain religions that have their own traditions. No.

Evangelicals have their own traditions too. And we present tradition, leaders deceive themselves and then deceive those who enter into those churches and thinking this is what is required of me, and they leave just as dead as they came in. Week after week and for some Easter and Christmas, thinking they've paid their dues, they check the mark and they can move on and they are just as bound, just as defeated, Nothing changes because you've nullified the word of God with your tradition. And let me testify to you today that beside the shackle of legalism, you have shackles of tradition. They don't work.

They don't work. As reverential as it looks, as historical as it might be, as much as the ancients have practiced it and our people did this and this is the way that our culture did it, if it's not coming from the word, it's dead and you're dead. Oh, can we talk about more shackles and chains that people use? How about the shackles and the chains of your own strength? Of attempting to conjure up your own ideas and your own disciplines and your own way of thinking, this is how I'm gonna come.

It doesn't work. No matter how psychological it looks, no matter what books say, no matter what people say about how this has done it for them, if it's not from Jesus, it is futile. And so we read that no one could stop him. No one could deliver him. Legalism can't do it.

Tradition can't do it. Observance to the law cannot do it. And then we come to a third characteristic in verse five. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. You know what the Holy Spirit wants us to do?

Every verse we're just getting deeper and deeper into this man's life and seeing the utter hopelessness. So just imagine the sight. This man who was not clothed, this man who perhaps had bruises on his wrist and on his ankles from the attempts of chains to hold him back. And on top of that, he has cuts all over his body and blood stained stones around him with broken chains and fetters by his feet. And day and night he would cry out.

Day and night he would cut himself. And so we just learned that not only was he a threat to others, you wanna know the state of hopelessness. You have reached the level of hopelessness when you're a threat to yourself. When you yourself bring immediate danger to yourself. Self affliction, purposely, that is dangerous.

Man by nature, whether you're saved or you're not stay saved has an instinct to want to live. Man by nature desires to nurture and cherish themselves. I'll prove it. You won't even poke yourself in the eye on purpose. That's a God given thing.

There is a healthy fear to not do things that are erratic or dangerous so that we can preserve and live long lives. So what does it say about a man's mind, a man's lifestyle if he is now afflicting pain on his own body? Do you wanna know what? The Bible testifies to what I'm saying. What does he say in Ephesians five twenty nine when when Paul is teaching on marriage?

I love this insight. He says in Ephesians five twenty nine, for no one ever hated his own flesh. For no one ever hated his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it just as Christ does the church. Paul is saying he's pulling a principle, a principle from humanity that by nature He's not saying nobody's ever hated their own flesh. We see in Mark five, somebody's hating their own flesh.

But there is a general rule that man wants to take care of themselves. They feed themselves. They do certain things to again prolong health. And we see here that if you don't if you don't, then you're in a dangerous place. And I love what he says here on a side note for marriage.

If it is natural for a man to take care of himself, so it should be a natural thing for a man to take care of his wife. That's what he's saying. As much as it is an instinct for you to nourish and cherish and protect and build your own body, so should it be in your relationship with your flesh, one flesh. So it's natural for a man to cherish his own body. What does it mean that if you heard it, it's unnatural?

It's unnatural. And there are people today, and it's a growing trend, who actually do what this man does in the secret of their bedrooms. Who sometimes can't even help it and will go into their school bathrooms. And what do they do? They cut themselves.

They will take a razor blade and they will cut themselves. And I draw from this, that as much as it is a decision that a person makes, and I'm not implying that it is demonic possession that leads to that, it is in fact demonly inspired though. That is demonically inspired. The thoughts running through a person's mind to afflict their own body are the whispers of Satan to destroy the image of God represented in you. How important is it to hear this message especially these past few months?

You know how suicide is on the rise with all this craziness? The hopelessness that people are feeling? Do you want to know that in a specific age group for young adults, the number two reason for death is is suicide in America? Could you imagine that? The top 10 ways that people are dying in America on that list is suicide.

I mean there are many ways you can die and on that top 10 list is suicide. And if a devil or the devil himself can convince a man to take out his own life, oh he has succeeded in much. But if he can't get you to go that far, as long as you can destroy what God wants to glow through you and mar it and bleed it and bruise it, don't take that lightly. I wanna give you hope God can give you deliverance. And the more you read of this man, the more you realize that he is beyond hope.

You live in a cemetery. You want to harm people to the degree that you have to be chained in place and never mind trying to harm people. You are day and night torturing yourself. So what are we faced with in this pause in Mark chapter five? A demented, disfigured, seemingly permanent mess of a man.

Nothing could help him. No one could help him. Family abandoned. Friends abandoned. And the only thing he has apparently are tombs, graves, and another demon possessed man according to Matthew.

That's just the way he is. Let him be. And we will have a parade the day he dies, and it'll be easier because he's already there in a cemetery. But then something happens in the story. The scene stops and somebody presses the play button again from that last scene in verse two where Jesus steps out of a boat, and I love visualizing it.

As they're trying to dock the boat and you can see the disciples in the background here, Jesus comes and he plants his feet on the same territory that this demon man roamed on. And what do we see in verse six? And when he, being the demon possessed man, saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. Don't miss what was just said. Don't miss what was just said.

So here's this demon possessed man perhaps roaming and even screaming and cutting himself as Jesus getting off that boat. And once the son of God, the Christ comes and plants his feet on the same land, those empty lifeless eyes of that demoniac glaze over and lock with Jesus Christ. And for some reason, he's compelled to run toward him. And perhaps it was the demons coming toward him realizing who he was and begging him not to be tormented. And as he runs toward him, notice what endless chains and shackles and cuffs and schemes of man failed to do.

One glance of the Son of God did it. He fell on his knees and he was paralyzed by the glory of God in Christ Jesus. No word. No word from Jesus. No command from Jesus.

Just his presence. Just the presence of Christ brought a man filled with thousands of demons, as the King James says, to worship. Oh, if the citizens who would have passed by from a distance would have saw that scene alone, surely they would have concluded that that in itself was a miracle. We couldn't keep him in place for years. And who is this fellow that steps out of a boat that causes this man to fall?

To fall. Because the reality is though Christ was wrapped in flesh, the absolute authority he possesses is on full display here. That his very presence emanates a weightiness that compels you to fall and to worship him. Well, You're saying I know people hear about Christ all the time and they don't react this way. True.

But there is a day coming. There is a day coming when Christ will come with unveiled glory. And every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will not help but bow and confess that he is Lord. That day is coming. That day is coming.

And we see a glimpse of that day here where you see a man, the God man wrapped in flesh and performed as a man filled with thousands of demons. And so don't miss it. It's not just a man that's falling down, that's thousands of demons falling down. And so he comes to this place and between verses seven and twelve, what do we read of? We read of an interaction.

An interaction between Jesus Christ and the demon that possessed this man. And in these verses, I must say in studying this, I realized that Mark chapter five deserves more than one message. There is so much insight and richness in this text, but for the sake of this morning, we will just explore some of them. As we read between verses seven and twelve, there are some things to see here that are very important. First, notice with me in verse seven.

And crying out with a loud voice, he says, what have you to do with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me. In another account of the same thing, we are told that they ask, have you come to torment us before the time? See demons and the devil himself know that there is a day appointed for their judgment. They are fully aware.

So what is their task as of now, as we are speaking, to bring as many people to be tormented with them? That's what they want. They know. They know it's coming. But what's amazing is, it motivates them to be so much more ambitious in their destructive plans.

But what's interesting here is not just the knowledge of their coming judgment, but the way that they address Christ. Jesus, the son of the Most High God. May I say this, that it doesn't say much for somebody to identify Christ or to even identify him with such eloquence and exaltation because we realize that demons can do so with great eloquence and they are going to be tormented. There is no salvific power in somebody knowing how to fill in the blank of who Jesus is according to the word of God. Demons know him and they are theologically rich in their understanding.

It doesn't say much. Doesn't say much because salvation is a matter of knowledge, but true saving faith comes from a knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ and then a submission to the lordship he demands. So say it how you want. Wax eloquence. Jesus is the son of the most high God.

He is God in the flesh. He is the second person of the trinity. He did, yeah, historically die on the cross. Guess what? You're amongst the camp of the demons if you have not surrendered to his lordship.

This is what James this is what James is talking about. That that faith that demons have. So it's not very impressive to God and it's not very important to your soul unless you submit to the truths that you claim to know and confess. But secondly, we see something else. In verse nine, after Jesus commands the demon to come out, Jesus asked him, what is your name?

Jesus loves to ask questions. But I can tell you this, he doesn't ask questions because he doesn't know the answer. Jesus asked a question, not for him to know the demon's name. I'm sure he knew the demon's name. Jesus asked a question so that the disciples in his presence would know his name and that his disciples, you and I, would know what kind of demon he's dealing with.

So he's pulling out of him to confess what kind of evil spirit we're dealing with here. And what do we realize? He says a legion. And legion is a Roman army term that describes a division of soldiers that comprise of four to 6,000 soldiers. So you know what's being said here.

Safely, there are at least four to 6,000 demons inhabiting this man. And so why is Jesus asking the question, what is your name? Because he wants him to confess the extent of this man's depravity and hopelessness. He wants the people and he wants us to read what kind of case we're dealing with for us to see that there is no case that is too grave, too far off, too demonized for Jesus to redeem. But interestingly enough, as they confess the name Legion for we are many, do you realize that demons are very organized?

The king of the darkness is very very organized. They're even giving themselves a name that the Roman army would use to describe and organize their own kingdom. They have ranks. There's principalities as rulers. And so they are very efficient here, aren't they not?

Do you realize that the kingdom of darkness is so focused that there's no time for division for them? Because Jesus says if Satan is casting out Satan, if you do that a kingdom will will fall. Kingdom divided against themselves cannot stand. When they accuse Jesus of trying to cast out a demon with a demon, Jesus, you have no idea. That doesn't work.

So Satan and his minions are

so focused on destroying God's work and God's people that they don't have time

to bicker and complain against one Because they know that the moment we divide amongst ourselves, our kingdom will fall. Oh, the church would get the same revelation. What happens? Verse 10, interestingly enough. And he begged them.

Legion begged Jesus earnestly not to send them out of the country. In Luke eight thirty one, we are told that they begged him not to be sent to the abyss. What's being said here? Instead, verse 11, as you know the story very well, they said, Hey, listen. There's a herd of pigs.

There's thousands of pigs there. Jesus, please. As they begged him, Send us to the pigs instead. Don't send us out of this region. Don't send us into the abyss.

Why? We know one thing, Jesus wasn't here to torment them and judge them the way he will one day. That day hasn't come yet. He is coming to save at this point. He will come to judge all men and all spirits one at one moment.

But here we see that they did not want to be launched into a place of inactivity. You ready for this? It's gonna shock us, I'm sure. They begged Jesus not to be paralyzed in their mission, but that they would go on with their destructive plans. They wanted to they wanted to some kind of body and if they could have a human body, they said, fine.

Just give us the pigs. We want to destroy something. We want to torment something. And if you won't let us have a body then give us the animals. Ready for this?

The demons didn't want to be idle. The demons didn't wanna be idle. And Jesus in his wisdom answers the demons and allows them to go into the pigs. But I read that and I thought, this is convicting. The demons were begging Jesus not to be inactive, not to be sealed, not to be chained in the abyss, but that they would go on and do what they so desire to do.

And my question is, where are the Christians begging Jesus to be used? Because we have a gracious message. We have a heavenly purpose. We have God on our side. And most of us perhaps could say, I'm content just with going on and doing my own thing.

No. Realize that Christ longs to use those who are desperate to be used. It's a sad thing to see here, but it speaks so much of Christ's authority when he says go. And they go and they possess. They possess these pigs.

And what do we read of? Well, we read of the moment in verse 13, they enter into these pigs. The pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. That was very quick. But what's interesting is what happens in verse 14.

The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country and the people came to see what it is that had happened. Now the question is why would Jesus allow these demons to possess these pigs? And there are many reasons for it. But one safe answer is that perhaps these pigs were not supposed to be there anyway because it was unlawful for the Jews to have such an animal in their midst, to sell it, to eat it, whatever it may be. And so he allows it.

So we either have Jews that are owning a pig business, when they have no business doing that, or you have Gentiles that are doing it and some would say it's more on the Jewish side. And so what do you have? You have an entire financial enterprise that came crashing down in moments. And there was herdsmen on the scene and they saw that these demons had left this man that they were so familiar with, taking over their pigs and they dove to their own death and they What just happened? So they run to the city to tell the entire city of

the whole

ordeal. And when they come to the city, we see something. They come back with him. So so astounding was this event that the entire city comes out, as one account tells us. Verse 15, and they came to Jesus.

And the first thing that caught their eye was not the vacancy of the land that was occupied by the pigs. They came to Jesus and saw the demon possessed man, the one who had the legion. And there's three things that describes him now. He was sitting there, he was clothed, and he was in his right mind. And they thought to themselves, what just happened?

And he's there sitting at the feet of Jesus like a child, brand new, transformed. See, when Jesus saves, when Jesus delivers, he does a complete job. He does a holistic job. And yes, we progress in sanctification, but there is a radical turning point when we are touched by him, and they noticed that. And they were so moved.

They were so amazed at the sight. How do you think they reacted? Well, we are told, and they were afraid. They were afraid. They have now come face to face with a man who clearly possessed a power that they did not have and a power that overruled those of thousands of demons, and they trembled.

And you and I should tremble as well. Not just at the judgment of God, not just his severity or his wrath or his discipline, the goodness of God should cause us to tremble. A reverential awe of his majesty and his splendor and his authority. But the problem here is that the fear that they had was a wrong type of fear. We should have a a holy fear, but the fear that we must have must be mingled with a joy and an anticipation and a faith to see and to believe God for more and to worship him as he is.

They were just afraid, totally afraid. And the fear that they had led them to make a terrible decision, because the witnesses here in verse 16 tell us, and those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon possessed man and to the pigs. So then as they're standing there and they see this unnamed fellow clean and whole and sound, those who had witnessed it approached the crowds and who knows how it was shared, but the story went on. And it's important, you have to see it here, they describe to them as they're staring at the man, not just what happened to the man, but what happened to the pigs. What had happened to the demon possessed man and to the pigs.

And they're hearing it. The demons left this man, they entered the pigs and the pigs drove off into the water. And as they heard this, they came to a conclusion. They begged Jesus to leave. They begged Jesus to leave.

What in the world is going on? Wouldn't you think it if you saw a man that terrorized your neighborhood, was notorious for harming himself and others out of his mind, wouldn't you think that after such a miracle occurred that you would have every single person in that place saying, who are you? Tell us who you are. What is your message? You must stay here.

I have to bring my son. I have to bring my cousin. I have to bring my friend. I have to bring my father. Wouldn't you think?

But no, the conclusion that the masses came to, get out of here Jesus. Why? Because when Christ stepped on the scene, two things happened. Deliverance for a demonically possessed man and a destruction of a financial enterprise through these pigs. And when they weighed the balance, when they looked at the options, when they saw what Christ's presence did, they realized that these people, this group of citizens, were willing to have their pigs over Christ's salvation power over a man.

They were more comfortable with the presence of a demon possessed man with the presence of Jesus Christ. They are more satisfied with having their gain, even though it was unlawful, over redemption and restoration and healing that could have extended into their own lives. In other words, they are showing something more desperate than this demonically possessed man. You think that this demonically possessed man was the only one that needed deliverance. Oh no no, the masses here were.

And not from a demon holding them, but from their depraved nature. This is a picture of many who choose pigs over Christ. I want the pigs. I don't want you, Jesus. Because you know what they're afraid of?

If Jesus steps into my life, he's gonna rearrange everything. If Christ steps into my life, he might get rid of this and he might bring this and he might tell me to do that and I don't want this kind of a Lord. I want to be Lord. Jesus, get out of here. I'll tell you who's really in need of deliverance.

These citizens. And the only deliverance that is available is through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit that can change your heart. And if you're left to yourself apart from God's grace being imparted into you, you would have begged Jesus to leave too. So they tell him to leave. So he leaves.

He leaves. There's a lot of begging in this chapter by the way. The demons beg. Now these people beg. And Jesus is willing to answer what you're really desperate for, even if it's for him to leave.

And so imagine the sight. Here's this man sitting there in his right mind. Here are these people chanting for Christ to go, just get out of here. As quick as you came, go. Christ, humble meek, keeps his mouth shut and walks the other way.

The very boat that they just docked, now they are unroping to leave. But something else happens. There's another beggar in the story. It says here in verse 18, as he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him. Beg, beg, beg, begged him that he might be with him.

Can you imagine the sight? Here's a mass of people. Get out of here. We don't want you. Never come back again.

And as the crowds are drowning the atmosphere with their chants, this man is unmoved, undisturbed by it. He gets up and there's a voice in the midst of the crowd saying, Jesus, let me go with you. Jesus, let me go with you. Jesus, I'm not just interested in you delivering me. I need you.

I want you. Let me go with you. This is not a man interested in the perks of salvation. This is not a man who's just interested in what God can do for him. This is a man who wanted God himself.

Because if you wanna know that there's a true work done in you at salvation, here's one strong evidence. You want Christ. You wanna walk with him. You wanna know him. You wanna hear him.

You wanna obey him. You wanna be at his shoulder day by day. Wherever Jesus goes, you want to go. And that's why it is an atrocious thing when the prosperity gospel is being preached in the West. Here's what Jesus can do for you, and he's your little genie in the sky that can offer you what you want.

Despicable. That's no gospel. It's a false gospel. The true gospel offers Christ and Christ himself, and Christ is enough as we just sang. Here's this man, oh Lord, let me come.

I wanna travel. I wanna be your disciple. I wanna know you. Who are you that touched me? Please let me go with you.

You can imagine Jesus looking at him with so much compassion as the crowds are chanting in the background for them to just get out already and here's this man looking at him with a new face, new eyes, new smile, new skin. Please Lord, whatever it takes, let me go. So you're either somebody who begs Jesus to leave even though you wouldn't confess that with your mouth but you do in your heart or you beg to be with Christ. And here's this man clearly touched by God, wanting the latter. And here's the amazing part.

The demons begged to go into the pigs and Jesus said, go. The man said, go. They begged him and he says, fine. But then all for a sudden when this man who was asking for the right thing begs, Jesus doesn't answer it. Verse 19, and he did not permit him.

He did not permit him, but said to him, go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you. Isn't that amazing? He was willing to comply with the demons and the people were saying get out, but when it came to the man who wanted to be with him, Jesus no. I'm sure we can know this for certain. It wasn't a rebuke.

It wasn't a harsh thing. I'm sure that what he had said was, yes, authoritative but with so much love laced with it. Why? It's a mystery, isn't it? Prayer is a mystery.

God sovereignly answering the cries of some and not the others is a mystery. That's the point. God possesses in Christ a wisdom and a knowledge, a foreknowledge of things beyond us. Where we look at things, we go, Lord, why? Why no for them?

Yes for him? Why? Why? Why? And that's the point.

Trust him. You trust him. You trust when he says no. You trust when he says yes. Even when you think that yes should be the no and the no should be yes.

You trust him. And that's the point. And here's how you know that this man wanted Jesus Christ as Lord. When he said it, he said, yes, Lord. I'm begging.

Please, let me go with you. Listen. I see you more effective as an evangelist right now than if you were to follow me for a few years and hear what I have to say, go. Here's this man standing uprights, sane and sound saying, yes, Lord. And he walks the other way.

And what I love about this man is that Jesus says, go home to your friends. He just said go home to your friends. He didn't say anything more than that. Go home to your friends. The ones that haven't seen you in years.

The ones who have probably seen you from a distance and thought to themselves, what a shame. What happened to so and so? Look where he's at now. Go home to them. Because that's where it starts first.

In another account we are told in Luke eight thirty nine that he says, go to your hometown. That's where evangelism begins brothers and sisters, with those who know you the most, those who are closest to you. You go to your friends. Andrew went to Simon when he was introduced to Christ in John chapter one. We go to those who are near to us and we expand from there.

And what I love about this man is that Jesus just told him, go to your friends. And Luke, go to your hometown. But what are we told here in verse 20? And he went away and began to proclaim the Decapolis. Decapolis.

That is an area compiled of 10 towns that are occupied by gentile influences. That is a whole region. And so when he was told to go to hometown and to his friends, guess what? That was the starting point. His deliverance was too great to contain it there.

His salvation from these demons, specifically, was too wonderful to just keep to those that knew him. He needed to tell as many people as he could. What a wonderful thing. Here's a mark of a man who's been touched to be with Jesus, to be with Jesus. And Jesus says, I know.

I know you wanna be with me. One day you'll be with me for all eternity. But my ministry right now is to the Jews, and the Decapolis is a Gentile influenced place. So I'm gonna let you go to the Gentiles while I deal with the Jews. Go.

Go prepare the Gentiles for my message. Imagine, a man here who was so filled with demons was immediately sent as an evangelist. Talk about the grace of God. Talk about the grace of God. I don't see theological training.

He didn't say go to Moody Seminary, go to DTS, go to these different theological schools, nothing against that. I went to Moody myself. But the wisdom of God and how he calls, with these 12 he knew they needed three years. Come with me boys. You need to learn a lot of them.

You? Go now. Sovereignty of God. Why was this message preached this morning? So you can have hope for a loved one.

So you can have hope for your children. You can have hope for this generation, for this city, where more and more it seems like what we're hearing and seeing is nothing short of demonic. Demonic, but Christ can save still. The most radical, the most depraved, the most darkened. Listen, all we have to do is what this man did and introduce people to Christ.

Not be ashamed, to be excited, to know him, to know him more and declare him. And Christ in his wisdom and in his wonderful promise, when we introduce people to him, has the ability by just the mention of his name and his gospel to make somebody that could not know hope in any other avenue fall down. Fall down. There's something powerful in the name of Jesus. You know very well that there is only one gospel that we have.

And let's show the world that is filled with broken chains that Christ can do what no man can do. Let's pray together. Father, this morning there is no doubt that our hearts are filled with hope Because you've given us this story, Lord, to see what you are capable of. Lord, renew our faith for the drug addicted child. Renew our faith, Lord, for the backslidden sibling.

Renew our faith for those that we love so dearly that seem to know only bondage, that have almost lost their minds. We pray, Lord, that we would be able to behold what we we just witnessed here in this text. Freedom and deliverance. Lord, we ask that our faith would be renewed this morning to pray and believe and witness like we never had before. And, Lord, we know that some days we lose motivation and we lose faith, but, God, you're gracious to speak to us week after week to remind us who you are and what you're able to do.

Lord, we want to worship you this morning. Receive our thanksgiving in light of the truth that we've received. We honor you and we glorify you, knowing that the same Christ we read of is the same Christ who is sitting at the right hand of the father, willing to extend the same power in our generation. We trust in you, Lord. We trust in the power of your gospel.

We give you our all in all in Jesus' name. Amen.